Chapter LXVIII: Letter LXVII: To Mr. M

June 10, 1778.

“’Tis with our judgements as our watches--none
“Go just alike--yet each believes his own.”
+Pope.+

SO, my wise critic--blessings on thee,--and thanks for thy sagacious discovery!--Sterne, it seems, stole his grand outline of character from Fielding--and who did Fielding plunder? thou criticizing jack-ape!--As to S----, perhaps you may be right--not absolutely right--nor quite so very _altogether_ wrong--but that’s not my affair.--Fielding and Sterne both copied Nature--their pallettes stored with proper colours of the brightest dye--these masters were both great originals--their outline correct--bold--and free--Human Nature was their subject--and though their colouring was widely different, yet _here_ and there some features in each might bear a little resemblance--some faint likeness to each other--as for example--in your own words--Toby and Allworthy--the external drapery of the two are as wide as the poles--their hearts--perhaps--twins of the same blessed form and principles;--but for the rest of the Dramatis Personæ, you must strain hard, my friend, before you can twist them into likeness sufficient to warrant the censure of copying.--Parson Adams is yet more distant--his chief feature is absence of thought. The world affords me many such instances--but in the course of my reading, I have not met with his likeness, except in mere goodness of heart--in that, perhaps, Jack M---- may equal him--but then he is so confounded jingle-headed!--Read, boy, read--give Tom Jones a second _fair_ reading!--Fielding’s wit is obvious--his humour poignant--dialogue just, and truly dramatic--colouring quite nature--and keeping chaste.--Sterne equals him in every thing; and in one thing excels him and all mankind--which is the distribution of his lights; which he has so artfully varied throughout his work, that, the oftener they are examined, the more beautiful they appear.--They were two great masters, who painted for posterity--and, I prophesy, will charm to the end of the English speech.--If Sterne has had any one great master in his eye--it was Swift, his countryman--the first wit of this or any other nation;--but there is this grand difference between them--Swift excels in grave-faced irony--whilst Sterne lashes his whips with jolly laughter.--I could wish you to compare (after due attentive reading) Swift and Sterne--Milton and Young--Thomson and Akenside--and then give your free opinion to yours ever.

I. SANCHO.

I want a handful or two of good fresh peach leaves--contrive to send me them when opportunity serves--and word, at the first leisure period, how Miss _Anne Sister-like_--_George Grateful-look_--Mrs. &c. &c.--and how your worship’s hip does.--You had set up my bristles in such guise--in attacking poor Sterne--that I had quite forgot to give you a flogging for your punning grocery epistle--but omittance is no quittance.--Swift and Sterne were different in this--Sterne was truly a noble philanthropist--Swift was rather cynical;--what Swift would fret and fume at--such as the petty accidental _sourings_ and _bitters_ in life’s cup--you plainly may see, Sterne would laugh at--and parry off by a larger humanity, and regular good-will to man. I know you will laugh at me--do--I am content;--if I am an enthusiast in any thing, it is in favor of my Sterne.